


Freesia Seeds

by AtropaDesideria



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Canon Divergent from chapter 224, Link and Johnny are M.I.A., M/M, No smut just sleeping, One Shot, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 14:58:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12368190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtropaDesideria/pseuds/AtropaDesideria
Summary: Tyki travels with Allen to the current day Campbell Residence. Without the use of the ark to speed things up, they have plenty of time to bond.





	Freesia Seeds

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this before the release of DGM Chapter 225, but decided to edit it after receiving helpful advice that the timeline was confusing. Unfortunately I have no motivation so I am posting this months later. R.I.P.
> 
>  
> 
> Update: I went back and tried to clean this up a bit without changing much of the writing.

Nea, the Fourteenth Noah was in control of Allen’s body as he stood staring down at Tyki from atop a roof with a surprised expression. His skin remained pale and stigmata free, making it appear like he was the real Allen. Tyki was dressed in his usual Noble attire, consisting of a black suit and a top hat that covered his dark hair.

After a few minutes of mutual staring between both noah, Nea broke the silence. _"So that’s where Mana put that face. It's all beginning to make sense,"_ he mumbled.

 _"Face?"_ Tyki asked, casually taking another drag of the cigarette that he was smoking.

 _"Hmm?~"_ Nea returned his focus to Tyki.  _“Oh, right. You are probably unaware of it since the Earl himself doesn't remember. That and I'm sure our darling Noah of Dreams has done a good job of keeping our families’ painful secrets locked away."_

 _"Right. So what are these secrets that you claim I don't know?"_ Tyki asked, feeling a mix of curiosity and irritation at the other noah’s claim.

Nea smirked knowingly.  _"Why don’t you just ask Road? I’m sure she would be willing to explain everything. That is, assuming she actually trusts you.”_

 _“Don't think I’m a fool. I know better than to trust a traitors words at face value,"_ Tyki said, lazily blowing puffs with his cigarette smoke.

At his response Nea’s eyes rounded and he covered his heart in an eccentric fashion. _"How rude! Here I thought you were so eager to have me join our family.”_

Tyki wasn’t in the mood for playing theatrical games so he ignored the other noah’s act and let his mind drift. _"Great. Another clown,"_ he muttered.

Nea pouted at being ignored, but regained his composure and continued to goad Tyki. _“Or maybe that eagerness wasn't for me, but for our cute Allen here?”_

Tyki turned his gaze back and returned Nea’s mocking smile. _“Is that jealousy?”_

_“Not at all. I’m just surprised that a proud noah has fallen so low as to desire an exorcist.”_

Suddenly, some of the brick underneath Nea crumbled as Tyki hit it with a dark matter blast. _"Watch your words, Fourteenth!"_

Nea moved away from the crumbling area before he fell along with that section of the roof. _“No need to get so violent. I was just being honest.”_

_“Does it surprise you that I’d prefer the boy over a traitor?”_

_“The Earl seems to feel otherwise. Don’t worry though. I’ll take good care of this body,"_ Nea said.  _“I can’t have my host body dying before I become the new Millennium Earl after all.”_

Tyki’s mouth twisted. _“You as the new Earl? You’re nothing, but a power hungry egotist. A suicidal one at that,” he spat out with a hint of madness spilling into his voice._

He began attacking seriously, dealing attack after attack. Tyki closed the space between them with his speed, causing Nea to take up a defensive stance. The Fourteenth was strong, but he lacked the agility that Allen usually showed.

Nea managed to just barely dodge each hit. _“As much as I would love to take my time and enjoy our battle, I haven’t fully adjusted to this body yet so I’ll have to end this quickly_. _”_

He summoned a swirling orb of dark matter from which he pulled out a large sword resembling Allen's Sword of Exorcism. Nea examined the large, glistening blade briefly and swung it in an attack at his opponent. Tyki blocked with his own attack, while sending out his Teez to swarm the other noah.

A few butterfly shaped golems managed to sink their teeth into the pale flesh before the swarm was elegantly sliced away. The two men continued to fight for a time and the strain on the Fourteenth’s body became evident as his movements slowed drastically and blood pooled from the many wounds covering him.

Meanwhile, in Nea’s dream world Allen was wandering through a seemingly endless wheat field. When his hope for finding an escape out of the golden landscape that stretched around him was beginning to fade, a barely audible voice brushed against his ears.

 _“Allen,”_  it whispered, sending shivers up his spine.

He turned to find the source of the voice and found himself standing in a cluster of familiar circus tents. The colorful tents sat beneath a gray sky. Circus music drifted through the tents, but there weren’t any sounds of people or animals.

 _“This is...”_ Allen entered one of the tents and saw a bunch of dirty props laid out. They would need to be cleaned before they could be used again.

Red paw prints trailed their way to a closed chest. He walked over and placed his clawed fingers on the wood. _“Allen?”_ he questioned, opening the lid.

He felt disappointment when the chest was revealed to contain nothing except for a single worn out circus ball with a star pattern.

 _“Of course not.”_  He sighed and left the chest to examine the other props.

To his confusion, he found the ball among them now. Allen picked it up and turned back to the chest only to see an empty space where it had been. He shrugged and began cleaning the dirty ball using a cloth from the table.

As he worked, a memory of a small orphan boy and a clown dog playing happily in the snow raced through his mind. Sadness welled up inside him as that memory was replaced by one of the dog’s bruised corpse lying in a hole and the bright eyes of an eccentric clown staring at the orphan boy with concern.

Allen chucked the ball through the tent flap and sat letting his arms fall limply as sobs forced their way through his lips. _“Mana. What am supposed to do? I became ‘Allen’ for you, but even if you’re already… I don’t want to disappear."_

Allen flinched when the ball that he threw away rolled back into the tent. He stood, quickly wiping his eyes and licking away the salty tears that had trailed down to his mouth. Being cautious, he waited to see if someone would enter first. When no one did, he forced his feet forward through the tent opening.

Outside of the dream space Tyki watched Nea dodge his dark matter blast and land clumsily on one knee. The white haired boy held his head in his arms while grimacing. _“Hah-ah it hurts. I’m not… I’m not Nea!”_

Tyki paused his attacks and gracefully landed a few feet away from his opponent. _“Boy?”_ he asked wearily.

_“It hurts. Make it stop. Make the pain stop, please.”_

Tyki reached out to touch Allen’s head. _“Hey, hold on. It’s going to be alright.”_

As his hand patted the silky hair, it was abruptly grabbed by Allen’s innocence arm and he was pulled forward. Before he was able to react, a sharp pain formed in the middle of his chest and he glanced down to see his opponent’s sword implanted in him, only a few inches away from his vital organs.

Crimson liquid spilled from the wound as his gaze met with golden eyes that looked much like his own, except for the narrow pupils that were no more than slits. A sadistic grin stretched out across the usually innocent face.

 _“Fourteenth,”_ Tyki coughed out, realizing his mistake too late.

He stumbled back on unsteady feet as he put space between himself and Nea. He stopped when his back touched the wall. The Noah of Pleasure could phase through it and retreat, but he would die before he ran away from a fight with another noah who hadn’t even fully awakened.

When Allen exited the tent, he ended up in a dimly lit corridor. Looking back, there was only a dead end in the direction he came from. He investigated his surroundings and saw a large gray door with various unknown symbols etched into the metal.

The striped black and white walls were decorated with various oddities. Pictures of Allen’s own memories hung in unusual frames and clocks of all shapes and sizes made ticking sounds despite their hands being frozen in place.

Porcelain masks representing people Allen met throughout his life, as well as himself stared back at him with varying expressions. A frowning Red and a smiling Allen Walker gazed at each other from opposite walls.

 _“This place just gets weirder by the minute,”_ he said, allowing his attention to be drawn to a mask that had fallen face down on the floor.

He went to place it back on it’s hook and his lips formed a thin line as a person he never met, but looked eerily similar to himself stared back a him. The man had Allen’s face, but was missing his curse scar and had reddish-brown hair. He traced his fingers over the mask and was filled with a sense of déjà vu.

"Nea, use me," Allen thought before mentally slapping himself. _“What the hell did I just think? Is this some kind of Stockholm Syndrome from being mentally kidnapped?”_

He continued to analyze the mask, but paused when the voice from earlier returned. _“Don’t stop. Keep walking.”_

It floated in the direction of the door and the door cracked open on its own. Allen took once last look at the mask before making his way over to the door. He peeked through the crack and was blinded briefly by the brightness before his eyes adjusted and Allen realized he was back in his own body.

He noticed that Tyki was propped up against a wall and bleeding heavily. Allen tried to ask him what he was doing there, but found that he was unable to speak or control his own body. Terror filled him when his body began moving on its own. Allen realized with horror that although he could see through his own eyes, the Fourteenth was still controlling him.

Nea closed the distance between himself and the other noah. “Oh how sweet! You must like Allen a lot, to allow yourself to be fooled by such an obvious trick,” he teased.

"What does he mean?" Allen wondered.

 _"So what now? Do you plan on killing me?"_ Tyki asked.

Nea’s grin disappeared. _"It wasn't my desire to kill you a second time, Joyd. However, you and the rest of our family are standing in the way of my plans so it is necessary."_

 _"Whatever your plans are, they won't work,"_ Tyki said.

As much as the Noah family annoyed him at times, he loved them and the idea of them being hurt filled him with fear and rage. More than that, he felt a primal instinct to protect his Lord Millennium start to dominate all ability to think rationally. He couldn’t resist sending an animalistic glare at the traitor who had succeeded in destroying them once before.

Nea let a humorless chuckle escape his mouth. _"Believe what you want. It won't matter when you're dead,"_ he stated as he drew his sword up in the air.

Tyki let his eyes drift over his opponents body before focusing on his face. A face which he was so used to seeing full of determination and hope. _"What a shame. I was really hoping we could play another round of poker, boy,"_ he said, not expecting the real Allen to hear him.

"Nea is going to kill Tyki! I want to protect everyone, but not this way. I won’t let him turn me into his puppet,"Allen thought. Before he could create a plan, he was standing back in the corridor. The door was still cracked and in a rush he tried to open it, his heart sinking when it wouldn’t budge any further. _“I have to stop Nea,”_ he said, tugging at the handle again.

A few seconds passed causing his panic to increase, but finally the door swung open with one last tug. Tyki mentally prepared himself for death. After a few seconds passed and nothing happened, he glanced upwards to see the white haired boy holding his normal arm with his innocence arm. He was shaking heavily.

Tyki assessed the situation. "Is this another trick?"he wondered. _"Boy? Allen?"_

He knew the Fourteenth could be toying with him, further playing with his emotions before finishing him off. Even so he knew that Allen was not weak and he felt himself cling to the hope that the younger man wasn’t gone just yet.

Blood dripped from Allen’s mouth and his limbs contorted. _"No. I can’t. You can't!"_ He choked the words out between ragged coughs.

 _"Come on Allen. Don't tell me you feel something for this one?”_ , Nea asked, _“You insisted on remaining an exorcist, yet you can’t even do an exorcist’s job.”_

_"I don’t agree with what the noahs are doing, but killing him like this… It doesn't feel right, so please...”_

Upon realizing that this was the real Allen, Tyki watched curiously. He waited to see what would happen next. A few minutes of internal struggling passed and Allen collapsed to his knees. The sword that Nea had summoned fell to the ground and faded away into a dark mist.

 _“Fine, but you can’t fight me forever, Allen,”_ Nea said as he temporarily forfeited control over their shared body.

 _"Tyki, are you ok?"_ Allen asked in between heavy breaths.

 _"I've been better,"_ he admitted, staring into Allen's large, silver eyes.

Allen paused, looking the injured noah over a few times before he removed his already damaged jacket and ripped it into multiple strips. Then he crawled over to Tyki and began applying fist aid to the wound in his chest.

Tyki didn’t know how to respond to the caring action and tried to cover the awkwardness with some humor. _“He has a point. An exorcist is supposed to put more holes in me, not help me.”_

_“Are you an idiot? He tried to kill you! With my body!”_

The sight of the normally strong and courageous boy looking so lost, left a strange feeling in Tyki’s stomach. He decided to stay with Allen for a while and they made a temporary truce. The exorcist looked for his friend, Johnny, while Tyki focused on healing.

Allen had lost track of the young scientist when the Earl confronted them and Nea took over. After looking for hours, he didn’t manage to locate his comrade from the Black Order. Instead he found a Crow’s torn talismans and the broken body of Timcampy who had been pierced through by innocence.

Allen exhausted himself to the point that he could barely stay awake and was forced to quit his search. The exorcist reluctantly allowed himself time to recover. He spent the rest of the day in bed, sleepily whispering apologies to all the people that were hurt because of him. A small box containing his lifeless golem was placed next to him.

Tyki attempted to go to Allen’s side, but put distance between them after he failed to comfort the white haired boy. He didn’t try to talk to Allen any further until his breakdown subsided and he sought out Tyki of his own will. The next day Allen approached him to discuss their plans.

He sat atop a small table. The white haired boy’s legs dangled restlessly over the side as he explained to Tyki about what he saw in Nea’s dream world. He told him about how he had met the supposedly dead Cross Marian there and that the General had advised him to go to the current day Campbell Mansion.

 _“A mansion?”_ Tyki questioned in between checking the beige bandages that wrapped around his tan chest.

Allen nodded. _“Master told me to go there if I wanted to find the answers. I think it was where Nea lived.”_

Tyki stood up from the wooden chair he had been sitting in and moved his arms and torso in different positions to check for any remaining pain. Allen watched him, taking note of the way Tyki’s muscles moved as he stretched.

Tyki finished assessing his healing progress before speaking. " _I'm fine with your plan, but what are hoping to find?”_

Allen stared down at his own bandaged injuries and fiddled with the material. _“I don’t know for sure. I just want to know more. About Nea… and about me,”_ he admitted.

Tyki studied his face. Allen still seemed lost, but that look of determination had returned to his eyes. _“I can remain with you until you reach your destination, but after that I will need to return to Lord Millennium.”_

 _“First we need to find the location. I only saw an image of the place, not an address,”_ Allen said as he hopped down from the table that he had been using as a chair.

 _“I can’t ask the others directly without them getting curious, but I can still use certain noah resources,”_ he said, putting on a shirt.

Allen looked up. He started to thank Tyki and stopped when he remembered that the noah had yet to prove himself as fully trustworthy. He didn’t hate Tyki. He liked him and wished that they had gotten to know each other as friends and not enemies on the opposite side of a war, but the noah was still technically working for the Earl.

_“You will stay with me until then, but what happens afterwards?”_

Tyki walked a step closer to Allen. _“It’s my hope that you will join us willingly. If you continue to reject us, we will have no choice except to fight again eventually.”_

Although Tyki’s statement was far from comforting, Allen decided that the offer was better than traveling by himself. Without Timcampy or his friends around, Allen was beginning to feel lonely. Not to mention that he had a tendency to get lost.

Tyki disappeared briefly to get information on the Campbell Residence and retrieve some things he needed. He was careful to avoid Wisely and the Millennium Earl so that they wouldn’t get in the way. When he returned, the two began their journey.

They boarded a train and Tyki sat across from Allen in his human form. He wore a black button up shirt and dark jacket. His outfit was a degree nicer than the miner uniform he used when traveling with his human friends, but not as fancy as his favorite suit. Thick glasses hid his eyes and beauty mark. He was watching Allen resist the need for sleep.

Allen’s silvery-white hair, which contrasted with Tyki’s own dark curls caught the sun’s rays through the window. He noted that the exorcist looked wholly pure at times like these and snorted at the irony. Putting aside his gambling habits, Allen was destined to become the Fourteenth noah; the one who would destroy everything.

 _"Go to sleep, boy. I'll be here to make sure it's you that wakes up,"_ Tyki reassured Allen.

 _"Don't let me sleep too long,"_ Allen said. Tyki nodded and at that signal, he hesitantly slumped back against the seat and drifted off to sleep.

"The boy is trying hard to fight it, but letting his exhaustion overwhelm him will only work against him," Tyki thought. Allen managed to sleep for twenty minutes before the train pulled into the station and Tyki shook him awake.  _“We’re here.”_

 _“Already? I just fell asleep,”_ Allen muttered sleepily, earning a chuckle from the older man.

_“You can sleep more once we find a place to stay.”_

As they left the train, Allen looked up at the darkening sky. The two had been traveling all day and he was looking forward to eating and having an actual bed to sleep in.

 _“Fine, but I still don’t trust you not to attack me while I sleep,”_ Allen said.

_“Now, now, boy. There’s no need to be so mistrusting. I didn’t do anything to you just now, did I?”_

Allen shot a glare at Tyki. _“That’s different. There were normal people around.”_

 _“If I wanted to kill you, that wouldn’t matter. Messes like that can be cleaned up easily with the right influence,”_  Tyki answered in a matter of fact manner.

The exorcist just narrowed his eyes at the comment and pushed past the noah. Tyki sighed, lit a cigarette and followed at a leisurely pace. After asking around, they arrived at the only Tavern in the small town. It was far from a luxury stay with it’s moldy odor and aged interior, but it would have to do. 

Allen passed by the bar and wandered over to a notice board while Tyki went and paid for their room. The board had the latest news and an assortment of Missing and Wanted posters. The exorcist was glad to see that his face wasn’t on any of them.

After being branded a traitor to the Black Order, they had started to use whatever means to obtain information on his whereabouts that they could. On more than one occasion, he had come across posters offering a large reward for information on him. The flyers would be scarce of any content other than a picture and a number to call.

 _“It looks like we will be in Room Three,”_ Tyki said, returning with a key.

 _“Only one room?”_ Allen asked.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Tyki nudged Allen’s shoulder in a friendly manner. _“It was all they had. Relax, boy. We aren’t enemies right now.”_

Allen slapped his arm away and began leading them to their room. _“Fine. At long as it has beds.”_

 _“Actually…”_ Tyki hesitated, glancing at the white haired boy.

“ _Don’t try to tell me this place doesn’t have beds. It’s a Tavern.”_

Tyki turned the key in the lock and let the door swing open. He watched Allen’s eyes widen at the discovery that the room only contained one bed.

Tyki shrugged his shoulders. _“Beggars can’t be choosers.”_

Allen’s mind blanked for a moment before he was able to process the situation. _“We are not sharing a bed.”_

 _“I was actually going to suggest we play a game of poker and let the winner take the bed, but sharing one sounds interesting as well,”_ Tyki teased.

 _“I just said we aren’t,”_ Allen said, pink creeping up his cheeks.

Tyki entered the room and glanced around. _“Calm down, we are both men here.”_

 _“That still doesn’t help,”_ Allen mumbled.

Although he knew that he shouldn’t have such thoughts about an enemy, the idea of sleeping so close to the beautiful noah was almost as alluring as it was uncomfortable.

 _“Is that so?”_ , Tyki hummed.  _“So if we weren’t, you would be fine with it? It appears Cross influenced you more than I originally thought, boy.”_

 _“Sh-shut up! That’s not what I meant!”_ Allen bit out, following the older man into the room.

Tyki chuckled and sat down on an orange sofa by the empty fireplace. He leaned back and rested his head on his arms. _“We can figure out the sleeping situation later. How about we get some dinner first?”_

At the topic of food, Allen forgot his annoyance over the prior conversation. He placed a hand over his stomach, which growled in anticipation. _“Now that you mention it, I am starving. Let’s hurry up,”_ he demanded while exiting their room at a rushed pace.

Tyki let out a heavy breath and followed, locking the door behind them. The two found a low class restaurant in tow. Families and groups of workers sat together, talking and laughing. A tall, brunette waiter came over to seat them and Tyki requested a table in the corner so that he could talk to Allen about the War without them being overheard.

 _“Are you not happy with the menu?"_ Tyki asked as he watched Allen read it over for a seventh time.

_“I’m having trouble choosing. Everything looks delicious and they have a large section for desserts as well.”_

Tyki looked bored. _“Just get everything you want. My treat.”_

Allen’s face lit up with joy at the offer until he remembered who it came from. _“I'll have to decline.”_

Tyki raised an eyebrow.  _“Yet you look extremely disappointed when you say that.”_

Allen hid his embarrassed expression behind the menu. “ _That’s because…”_ he began, but didn’t bother completing his sentence.

_“Don’t tell me you’re the type to starve over your pride?”_

Allen looked directly into his face, challenging him to lie. _“That’s not it. This truce is only temporary. You're here for the Fourteenth so there's no need for us to act so friendly with each other.”_

Tyki dragged his hand through his hair and sighed. _“I am obligated to follow my orders of retrieving the Fourteenth, but that doesn’t mean things have to be all work. Besides, I get the feeling that winning you over will take more than a dinner date.”_

Allen noticed the change in Tyki’s tone when he spoke the last part, but decided not to think too hard about his words. _“I'll let you cover the difference, but don’t complain later if you regret it.”_

 _“I won't. Just hurry up,_ _”_ Tyki groaned dramatically.

They ordered without further issue. While waiting for their meals, they talked casually about things such as gambling and their past battles. The waiter returned with their food just as they were in the middle of giving each other a few backhanded compliments.

They enjoyed their meal quietly, only commenting here and there on the taste. When they were done eating, Allen made sure to pitch in what little money he had. He still refused to take full advantage of the noah’s kindness. Tyki rolled his eyes, but took the money and added in the difference.

After being handed back his change, he left the tip and the they started their walk back to the Tavern that they were staying in. Tyki picked a main street. Neighs and hoof beats mingled with the sound of wheels on brick as horse-drawn carriage passed by. People chattered about everything from the latest gossip to business ideas.

Four workers discussed their duties, resulting in one of them to go off on a rant about his dream job. Only the coworker closest to him listened while the other two started a different conversation of their own. Allen and Tyki smiled at a group of children playing with a cat.

Allen wished that he could put on a clown performance for them, but didn’t have his supplies with him. Instead, he returned his attention to the man next to him. _“That was the first real meal I’ve had in a while. I really miss Jerry’s cooking.”_

 _“Who is Jerry?”_ Tyki asked, feeling an emotion close to jealousy.

 _“Jerry was the cook at the Order. He used to make whatever I asked for. I remember the look of shock on his face when I first arrived and—_ _“_  The story was cut short when a pile of ribbon-wrapped gift boxes came tumbling into them.

The black haired young woman who had dropped them began to apologize and grab at the gifts in an attempt to organize them. Allen and Tyki reached down to help her at the same time and the three of them quickly stacked them into a somewhat unsteady pile.

 _“Would you like help?”_ Tyki offered.

The woman shakily lifted the pile and adjusted the weight in her arms so that she wouldn’t drop the boxes again. _“Thank you, but I’ll be fine. You already helped me pick them up and I wouldn’t want to burden you both anymore than I already have.”_

The woman’s way of talking reminded Allen somewhat of one of his fellow exorcists. Miranda often worried about causing trouble for people when in reality she is an irreplaceable existence to many at the Black Order.

He gave a polite smile and added to Tyki’s offer. _“You wouldn’t be troubling us at all. Where are you headed?”_

The woman looked unsure at first. She gave her reply anyway. _“My house. A few streets over.”_

They carried the boxes to her home while exchanging vague introductions and making idle chat about the town. She thanked them for their help and the group separated.

Allen turned to Tyki. He had been surprised by the noah’s offer to help. _“Despite being a noah, you can be considerate to humans when you want to be.”_

_"Humans are weak and destructive beings, but they can be interesting at times.”_

_“I see,”_ Allen responded, attention on the sky as they walked.

 _“Is something wrong?”_ Tyki asked, noticing that Allen had become silent.

Allen hesitated before answering. _“It’s just that I used to think like that. I mean I didn’t want to destroy humans or anything, but I didn’t like them either.”_

At hearing Allen’s confession, Tyki nearly walked into a lamp post. He managed to phase through it which surprised a passing gentleman who blinked a few times and whispered a prayer before running off.

Ignoring the frightened man, Tyki spoke. _“You? Disliking humans? That’s a bit hard to believe when you try so hard to save everyone.”_

 _“I said used to. I stopped thinking like that when I met Mana._ ” 

"Mana? There is that name again," Tyki thought. _“What did he do that was so special that it changed your mind?”_

 _“He was the first person to treat me like a human and call me family. He showed me that people can genuinely be good to others. That’s why I want to keep my promise to him,”_ Allen explained.

 _“Was Mana the one who gave you that cursed eye?”_ Tyki asked, glancing sideways at the pentagram shaped scar that covered the right side of Allen’s face.

Allen didn’t respond. The pain in his eyes answered Tyki’s question anyway. _“I asked you something too personal. Sorry,”_ the noah said.

The exorcist’s eyes widened at the apology. _“What?”_

 _“Don’t be so shocked, boy. I know how to respect people’s privacy. Unless I’m ordered otherwise anyway,”_ Tyki said, sounding genuinely offended.

Allen nodded and changed the direction of the conversation. _“It’s weird. If I didn’t know that you were a noah, I wouldn’t have guessed.”_

 _“Is my vagabond look that convincing?”_ Tyki asked.

_“Yes, but it’s not that. Every time I see you, you seem more and more human.”_

Tyki lit a cigarette. Noticing that his supply was getting low, he took mental note to buy some more when he had the chance and returned his attention to their conversation. _“So you’ve said before. You’re lucky it’s me you keep saying that to and not one of the others.”_

 _“Is being human really such a bad thing?”_ Allen asked, remembering how happy Tyki had looked with his human friends.

_“You tell me. If you hadn’t met this Mana fellow, would you think it was such a good thing?”_

Allen pondered silently for a few minutes before answering. _“Mana may have been the one to help me love others, but even without him I believe good humans exist.”_

 _“Are you referring to your exorcist friends?_ _The ones who just sat by while you were imprisoned by the Black Order?”_

The memory of Allen chained in a prison cell while at the mercy of the independent innocence irked Tyki. He bit down too hard on his cigarette, causing the casing to split open. Frowning, he tossed the damaged object on the ground and crushed it under his boot.

 _“That wasn’t their fault. They couldn’t do anything about it, but it doesn't mean they didn't want to,”_ Allen defended.

Tyki let out a snort as they neared the Tavern. _“Is that really what you believe? Here I_ thought that you weren’t that naïve.”

 _“My friends wouldn’t betray me. We are family,”_ Allen said, his anger igniting.

 _“Right. If you say so,”_ Tyki replied in a sarcastic tone.

The two men entered their room and Allen slammed the door shut behind them. _“I do say so!”,_ he yelled, _"What's your deal anyway? Are you telling me that you don't care about humanity at all despite having human friends?”_

 _“Those of us who inherit noah memories care more than you think. It's because of that that I will have to make a choice in the end. Just like you will.”_  

Allen clenched his fists in frustration. _“So we’re back to the topic of your family wanting the Fourteenth?”_

 _“What they do and don’t want won’t change the fact that you’re becoming a noah. Besides, they… we are your family too,”_ Tyki spoke.

Allen wanted to argue, but he knew that the older man was right. Whether he was by the Earl’s side or not wouldn’t stop the transformation that had already started to take place. It was already too late to go back.

 _“It’s not me who is your family, but Nea. I'm not him so tell your family to stop chasing after me,”_ Allen said.

Tyki looked directly into Allen’s unsure eyes. _“Don’t be an idiot. Regardless of who held the title of Fourteenth in the past, the one I’m looking at is you, Allen Walker."_

Allen refused Tyki’s words of comfort. He convinced himself that the Noah Family only wanted him to play nice with them until the real Fourteenth took over and then he would disappear forever, leaving behind his failed promise to Mana.  _“I’ve told you. I’m an exorcist. I have been fighting against you all this time so I can’t be one of you!”_

 _“If you’re willing to do the same, we won’t hold our past differences against you.”_ Tyki reassured Allen.

_“You’re misunderstanding the problem!”_

_“Ah yes, the problem. The issue is that you don’t seem to fully comprehend the situation you are in,"_ Tyki corrected with a huff, his own anger rising.

Allen stood up straighter. _“I’m quite aware of the situation, I just have a different view on it than you.”_

 _“Well maybe someone needs to knock some sense into you then!”_ Tyki challenged, his face now in Allen’s.

His skin changed to the grayish-brown color that belonged only to the Noah Clan and his thick glasses dissapeared. Allen reacted to Tyki’s close proximity and anger by activating his innocence and getting into a fighting stance.

_“Just try it and I will be the one knocking some sense into you.”_

Tyki narrowed his eyes at Allen. _“Don’t test me, boy. I’ve been patient, but I am reaching my limit fast.”_

Allen’s innocence morphed into feathers, causing him to struggle in order to maintain it’s original form. _“The feeling is mutual.”_

Tyki was about to activate his own powers when Allen stumbled backwards into a chair, allowing Crown Clown to deactivate in the process. He grabbed the exorcist’s human arm to steady him.

His anger vanished and was replaced by concern when he noticed that Allen’s skin had started to turn grayish-brown like his own. _“Hey! Are you ok?”_

 _“Sorry, I’m just a bit dizzy. Give me a minute,”_ Allen said as he attempted to stand up.

When he failed to do so, the noah cursed. _“Fighting for control constantly will take its toll on your health. You should relax,”_ Tyki insisted as he steadied the white haired boy.

_“How about a game of cards then?”_

Tyki placed his hand over Allen’s forehead to check for the rise in body temperature that occurred before stigmata appeared for the first time.  _“Are you well enough to play?”_

 _“I’m more than well enough to beat you, if that’s what you mean. Besides I feel like sleeping in a warm bed tonight,”_ the exorcist said and pulled out a deck of cards from his jacket pocket.

 _“I feel a bit guilty denying the sick a bed, but I can’t refuse when you put on such a cocky attitude,”_ Tyki retorted as he took the cards and shuffled them.

He noticed that the deck was the one that he had given Allen during their very first meeting. It was still in great condition. Only a single card had been replaced by a hand made version. Tyki hid his slightly reddened cheeks behind the motion of rubbing his face.

The cards were dealt and they began playing. Tyki won the first round and smirked. He knew Allen still had time to beat him, but he was off to a good start.

 _“How are you feeling?”_ Allen asked as they began the second round.

 _“I’m already fully healed. That wound was like a paper cut compared to the damage that your innocence dealt me that time on the original Ark,”_ Tyki said.

 _“Right. I’m sorry.”_ Allen replied with a sheepish expression.

Tyki looked up from his cards. _“About?”_

 _“About failing to destroy your noah and causing it to go berserk,”_ Allen admitted.

Tyki leaned back on one elbow and chuckled. _“Ah, is that all? Here I thought you regretted stabbing me in the first place.”_

 _“That…”_ the exorcist began to explain, but was stopped by the noah gesturing him to be quiet.

 _“I did try to kill you by suffocation so I think it was fair. Hell, I already nearly killed you once before after all,”_ he said.

The exorcist frowned. _“That’s not something I want to remember about the person I am sharing a room with.”_

_“You brought up the topic first, boy. How about you?"_

Allen lifted his innocence arm for show.  _"Parasite type users also heal fast."_

_"That's not exactly what I meant."_

Allen decided to be honest with the noah. _"I don't know. My body aches constantly and I am always tired. Plus Crown Clown barely cooperates with me these days."_

Tyki started to ask Allen if he wanted his innocence removed, but decided that the exorcist would probably react badly like he did the last time the noah offered to rid him of it. He returned his attention back to the cards for the time being and initiated the next round.

Being the competitive players that they were, they didn’t stop after Allen had won the second and third round. They played until they were tied at the sixth round, having three wins each.

 _“Let’s play one more round. A tie breaker,”_ Allen suggested.

Tyki noticed that Allen was looking worn out despite doing his best to keep his poker face in tact. _“I hate to end our match on a draw, but I don’t think you can take much more activity,”_ Tyki said, collecting the cards into a neat pile.

 _“I’m fine. I still have a bed to win,”_ Allen said.

Tyki handed the deck back to Allen. _“Boy, don’t be stubborn. Since you need it more, I’ll take the floor for tonight. You can owe me one later.”_

They collected their winnings and removed any remaining possessions from their clothing so that they could place them in separate drawers inside the one bureau the room had.

Allen looked at the floor where Tyki agreed to stay and cringed inwardly. The wood was splintered in places and there were some dried stains from an unknown substance. There also weren’t any extra blankets besides the one on the bed. He debated his options.

The exorcist gave in to his compassionate side and made a decision that he knew he could end up regretting later. _“It wouldn’t be right to make you sleep on the floor when we tied, so if you’re alright with it… we could maybe share the bed,”_ Allen offered with his face turned away from the older man.

Tyki stilled and stared dumbfounded. _“I’m fine with it, but are you sure?”_

Allen nodded and slipped off his socks and shoes. Then he bundled his jacket up and placed it in the middle of the bed as a barrier of sorts before climbing in and facing the side he was on. He knew the action was childish, but he wanted to make a point.

His offer didn’t go beyond that of sleeping. A few minutes passed in silence until he finally heard the sound of two boots hit the floor, followed by a squeak as more weight was added to the old, wooden bed. Tyki laid on his back.

 _“You better not do anything sketchy while I sleep,”_ Allen hissed over his shoulder.

_“I’m hurt, boy. What kind of man do you take me for?”_

_“A bad guy who serves the Millennium Earl.”_

Tyki sighed loudly. _"I’ll give you that, but even bad guys like myself have some morals. Well, at least I do.”_

The exorcist turned to face the older man so that he could see him glaring. _“That’s convincing coming from a person who ripped my arm off and tore a hole in my heart.”_

Tyki gave an awkward half smile. _“Touché. Fine, I may have done some things in our past, but I wouldn’t do anything like that unless we both wanted it.”_

"Like I would ever want to do something like that with you,"Allen tried to convince himself as he ignored the feeling in his chest  _“That makes me feel better. I guess I knew that already though,”_ he admitted.“

Tyki raised his eyebrow. _"Oh?"_

 _You may be a bad guy, but I don’t believe you’re completely evil. I just wanted to hear you say it,”_ Allen said.

Tyki rotated his body so that he and Allen were facing each other and fiddled with the impromptu barriers. _“You say that, but this says otherwise, doesn’t it?”_

Allen snorted and tossed the jacked on the floor. _“We both know that if I thought I was in danger, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to think that a jacket could defend against you.”_

Tyki laughed. Allen's eyes dropped to the older man’s mouth. He visually traced the noah’s lips, finding himself wondering what kissing them would be like. His only experiences with kissing had been once with Road on accident and another time with a delicious smelling baker boy who he met while traveling with Cross. 

At noticing the way Allen was looking at his mouth, Tyki gave a sexy grin. _“It’s rude to stare. Although, I don't have a problem with it if it's you,”_ he said.

Allen resisted the urge to look away out of fear that the noah would read his thoughts through his actions.  _“When was the last time you slept with someone?”_ he inquired. At Tyki’s amused look, he clarified. _“I don’t mean that, just sleeping.”_

The older man paused to think, twirling his own bangs in a distracted manner. _“A few months before Road’s disappearance our whole family, except yourself, were ordered to gather. We arrived thinking Lord Millennium had an important mission for us, only to have Road trap us in her dream world—“_

 _“—And?”_ Allen interrupted, not sure what the story had to do with his question.

 _“She forced us to have a family camping trip.”_ the noah skipped to the end, groaning at the memory.

Allen noticed that Tyki looked annoyed. _“You don’t seem too happy about that.”_

 _“That’s because I was forced to share a tent with Sheril and he insisted that we use a double sleeping bag,”_ Tyki said, grinding his teeth.

 _“You two are brothers… right?”_ Allen asked, uncomfortable with the direction Tyki’s story seemed to be headed.

Thinking back to the few times he met the Noah of Desire made him shudder. The man was seriously creepy, even compared to the rest of the Noah Family.

 _“Yes, and it’s not what it sounds like. Sheril expresses his love in strange ways, but his intentions towards us are innocent. Mostly,”_ Tyki explained.

Allen’s face formed a blank expression. _“I see”_

Tyki regretted sharing that awkward part of his story."The boy will have to get used to the rest our family sooner or later anyway,"he reassured himself half-heartedly. _“What about you?”_ it was his turn to ask.

 _“One time Lenalee, Lavi and I bet on who could stay awake the longest,”_ Allen said.

Tyki stretched his legs out while being careful not to rub against Allen. _“I’m guessing you won that bet?”_

 _“Actually I fell asleep second, after Lenalee. Lavi said that we looked so peaceful that he didn’t have the heart to wake us,”_ the exorcist continued, _“Komui almost killed Lavi and me with his robot invention when he found the three of us asleep together.”_

Tyki noticed the relaxed look Allen showed whenever he recalled memories of his friends and felt a bit guilty for his earlier outburst. He hated the exorcists, but he understood friendship. _“The Noah Family aren't monsters, you know. We have feelings just like you and your friends do."_

Allen knew Tyki was telling the truth. He remembered an enraged Road standing protectively over Tyki’s unconscious body. She had said _“Family comes first,”_ and at the time the statement sounded so normal that he could have forgotten he was talking to a noah if it wasn’t for her deadly threat that followed.

He reached out with his human hand to touch Tyki’s stigmata, but stopped part way and let his arm rest limp on the pillow space between them.

The noah’s eyes followed the movement. He didn’t comment. Instead he gently grasped Allen’s wrist and brought the pale fingers to his forehead. Allen felt the rough patches of skin where the stigmata were and wondered what it feel like to have his own.

 _“Are you really happy being a noah?”_ Allen asked, unsure as to whether he should continue touching the noah’s forehead or pull his hand away.

Tyki debated on how to answer. _“I have a caring family, powers stronger than those of most exorcists and a place in aristocratic society. I shouldn’t have anything to complain about.”_

 _“But it sounds as if you do anyway,”_ Allen pointed out.

 _“Let’s finish this conversation tomorrow. We need sleep,”_  Tyki said.

Allen knew better than to force Tyki to share his feelings. _“Right.”_

He fell asleep after a while, but Tyki couldn’t bring himself to do the same and ended up watching Allen as he slept. The older man could feel the heat from Allen’s body, tempting him to reach out and pull the white haired boy close.

Over the course of their battles Tyki’s feelings towards him had evolved from mild interest to something more intimate. Now they were laying inches apart in a bed and it wasn’t for any reason regarding romance. He let out a few repetitive swears and decided to have another cigarette to help calm himself down.

Allen woke up to an empty bed and scanned the room for Tyki. Finding his boots still on the floor, he knew the older man hadn’t gone far. He trudged sleepily over to the bathroom. The room had a poor light source, but there was enough light coming from the one lamp that Allen was able to see.

When he finished using the bathroom, he began washing his hands. A humanoid shape in the dusty mirror made him pause. The form had no defining features, just a mouth and spaces where eyeballs would be. Allen knew from experience that it was the Fourteenth’s memory.

 _“You really cause a lot of trouble,”_ he told the shadowy figure.

To his surprise the Fourteenth’s memory looked sad. _"Why have you forgotten?"_ the raspy voice spoke inside Allen’s head.

Nausea and dizziness hit him. He grabbed on to the porcelain sink as his hearing left and his vision blackened.

Outside, Tyki was barefoot and leaning against the Tavern. He gazed up at the night sky as droplets of rain fell. They phased right through him, but he allowed the light breeze that accompanied them to cool his skin.

 _“How am I supposed to sleep like this?”_ he asked no one in particular and smothered his cigarette out on the wet brick.

He headed back inside and stared at the empty bed before his brain processed the situation. Tyki checked the bathroom for the missing exorcist.

Finding the door shut and locked, he knocked loudly. After receiving no reply, he tried again. _“Allen?”_ he called.

There was no sound on the other side of the door and Tyki used his power to pass through it. Allen was standing at the running sink, but rather than washing his hands, he was staring into the mirror.

Tyki grew concerned over Allen’s behavior and began walking toward him. He flinched when catlike eyes turned to leer at him with murderous intent.

A moment passed before they returned to silver and Allen blinked as he recognized the other man. _“Tyki. Don’t you know what knocking it?”_

 _“You didn’t answer when I tried. What are you doing?”_ the noah inquired.

Allen continued washing his hands and turned the faucet off, oblivious as to what just happened.  _“Using the bathroom. Obviously.”_

Tyki stepped closer. _“You don’t remember?”_

 _“Remember what?”_ Allen asked, drying his hands on his shirt since the bathroom was missing a hand towel.

Tyki analyzed the white haired boy. He appeared to be his usual self, but the noah knew he hadn’t imagined it. He disliked having to tell Allen something that he knew would only worsen his already drained mental state, but he didn’t want to lie to him if he didn’t have to.

_“The Fourteenth was awake a moment ago.”_

Allen looked as if he was going to vomit. _“Did he… What did he do?”_

_“Nothing important. I think I arrived before he had to chance to do anything.”_

_"That's good. I don't remember anything though."_

_"Let's get back to bed,”_ Tyki suggested, not wanting to make a big discussion out of the incident.

 _“What if he takes over again while we sleep?”_ Allen worried aloud.

The noah understood Allen's concern since having missing patches of memory from when Joyd was in charge of his body still bothered him. He knew how frightening it could be when control was taken away from you without consent and Allen had experienced that twice in two days.

Tyki reached out and placed his hand on Allen’s back. _“I can’t promise that he won’t. I can only promise that if he does, I won’t let you go.”_

It was a promise with double meaning. Allen didn’t want Nea and Tyki to fight again, but it could be dangerous if he allowed the Fourteenth to do as he pleased without knowing his plans.

If the cost meant having his body roughed up a bit, the exorcist was prepared for that.  _“Fine.”_

The two returned to bed. This time it was Tyki who fell asleep first, but Allen followed soon afterwards. The sun had been out for hours by the time Allen awoke. He moved his innocence arm and found that the blanket was twisted around his wrist with three of his fingers poking holes through the fabric.

He looked to his side and saw the other end of the blanket partly wrapped around Tyki and pinned under one of the man’s long legs. Both of their heads were on one pillow and the second one was gone. Allen chuckled and untangled himself from the blanket. Even while asleep the two had fought over something.

Realizing how long they had slept, he started to get ready. His foot sunk into a soft object on the floor, alerting him to the location of the missing pillow. He picked it up from the floor along with his jacket. Then he attempted to wake up Tyki who proceeded to sleep talk in Portuguese.

 _“Mikk. Wake up. We are going to be late,”_ Allen said, smacking the older man with his innocence arm.

Tyki rose holding the shoulder Allen assaulted and shot the exorcist an annoyed glare. _“Do you have to be so violent? You are just as bad as Road and her candles when she wants something.”_

 _“We're running behind. Get ready. Now,”_ Allen ordered.

Tyki frowned at Allen, but did as instructed. He fished through the drawer that he placed his items in the night before and retrieved a comb. He spent a good ten minutes working on making messy hair presentable before he was satisfied.

The noah phased on his socks and boots, earning a “Seriously?” look from Allen. _“It’s annoying to have to tie them every time,_ ” Tyki defended.

 _“Lazy,”_ the exorcist accused, finding the abuse of Tyki's abilities more amusing than he would admit.

They finished getting ready and collected their possessions. After double checking that they had everything, Tyki returned their room key. The two squinted up at the sun as they headed out to board the train.　

 _“We wouldn’t be rushing if you used the Ark to begin with,”_ Tyki said.

 _“You know full well that the Ark is traceable,”_ Allen replied, ignoring the grunt that the noah let out.

The majority of the train ride was peaceful with the only excitement being when a drunkard accidentally barged in on them playing poker and asked to join. The man quickly found himself without most of his possessions. Lucky timing prevented the situation from getting violent, as the train pulled into their stop just he started to argue.

Allen was still smirking over their winnings as they navigated their way to the Campbell Residence. A few glances back had Tyki smiling as well. Due to the exorcist’s habit of getting lost, Tyki led them in the right direction and the two men found the place they were looking for fairly quick.

The building was large and well kept. Only some minor damages on one wall made it obvious that the mansion had been around for quite a while. Gardens lined the walkway and a wheat field spanned the outside of the property. The wheat field had shrunk in diameter since the time in Nea’s memories.

Tyki halted outside the walkway causing Allen to stop as well. _“I promised to accompany you here and I did, but I need to report back to Lord Millennium,”_ the noah informed him.

Allen became serious. _“What will you report?”_ he asked.

_“Don’t worry, boy. I won’t tell him your plans. Not in any detail that would make him aware of what you are up to at least.”_

The exorcist steadied his gaze on the noah's face. _“You’re going to lie to the Earl?”_

 _“It’s not lying. I’m just not telling him everything. Yes, I know. You don’t trust me,”_ Tyki said.

Allen bit his lip. _“Actually, it sounds ridiculous, but I think I do. Somewhat anyway,”_ he reluctantly admitted.

Before he could argue that that didn’t mean he planned to join the Noah Family, Tyki pulled him into a hug and placed their foreheads together.

Allen froze as Tyki spoke. _“If only we had gotten to you before that womanizer did. I suppose things are interesting as they are though,”_ the noah whispered, more to himself than Allen and let go of the exorcist.

Allen understand what Tyki had meant but didn't know how to process it.  _“Tyki?”_

_Tyki gave a warm smile. “I’ll find you again soon. Next time we meet, I hope that you’ll have come to a favorable decision.”_

_“I doubt I will stop wanting to be an exorcist, but I can’t go on remaining ignorant of what I am either.”_

The idea of parting made them both feel sadder than they expected. In the past few days, they had grown attached to each other’s company. Allen’s eyes found Tyki’s lips. Becoming aware of where Allen’s attention was focused, Tyki acted.

He lifted the white haired boy’s chin, hesitating in order to give him a chance to move away. To his delight, Allen took the initiative and moved his face closer to Tyki until their lips touched. Allen’s inner confusion showed, but overall the kiss was pleasant.

The moment ended as Tyki stepped back, grinning. _“Like I said, I hope that you will come to a favorable decision.”_  

Before Allen could respond, Tyki disappeared, moving too fast for any normal set of eyes to register where he went. Fluttering on his back informed Allen of the Teez that Tyki had left behind and he reached back with his innocence hand to catch it.

The golem permitted him to handle it without attempting to bite and crawled along his arm, tickling his skin. It was purple and gray with an Ace of Hearts playing card design symmetrically decorating both of it's wings. 

Allen guided it into his jacket pocket and smiled. _“It’s time I go find out the truth.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
